Monthly Archives: May 2014

Next week marks the reemergence of the 18th century at the Louvre. In the north wing of the museum’s Cour Carrée, resides its exceptional collection of 18th century decorative arts. The collection, which hasn’t been on view for almost ten years, includes an incomparable array of masterpieces, from rugs and tapestries to royal furniture, jewelry and porcelain.…

As VP of Merchandising and Marketing, Holly Blalock, explains, “Color is not a trend for CR Laine. We are committed to color as a common thread throughout our collection.” And she should know. Now in her 10th year at the company, Holly has been instrumental in helping CR Laine, one of my sponsors at High Point this spring, make the shift from a very traditional upholstery company to one now associated with an updated, cleaner and stylish neo-traditional look and an indisputable emphasis on color.…

While it’s usually the fall season that brings out the blockbuster line up of design books, this spring, a strong selection rivals tradition. With a particularly crazy year of events to date, I am rather late in my reviews. Many of these books have already been circling in the blogosphere but I wanted to add a few thoughts and recommendations in this, a first of several round ups of recent titles.…

Wishing all you readers a wonderful long Memorial Day weekend. As we enjoy what here in Connecticut is a glorious sunny start to the summer season,
photo via Ralph Lauren
let’s take a moment to remember why we celebrate and recognize all those who have made sacrifices serving our country, which includes both my parents.…

According to art critic Brooks Adams, who spoke several weeks ago at the preview of the Pierre Soulages show being held jointly by Dominique Lévy and Galerie Perrotin, below, the key date was October 1950.
That was when Leo Castelli organized a show for Sidney Janis juxtaposing young French and American artists.…

How can you not love a site that offers everything from the best ice cream sandwiches to luxury travel. For those always on the hunt for that certain something special, Taigan is an endless temptation of carefully curated products from around the globe. …

Auctions, especially at distinguished houses, can be intimidating. And yet they are some of the best sources for great buys. So in anticipation of the upcoming Christie’s 20th Century Decorative Art & Design Auction next month, the house decided to collaborate with three young design firms to show budding collectors the type of pieces these stylish interior designers might choose for their clients, or themselves. …

The best gathering at Legends was no doubt in Doug Meyer’s brilliant window installation for Dragonette, sponsored by the Palos Verdes Art Center, where Meyer is working on a major design overhaul. Howard Roark’s Enright House of The Fountainhead, as envisioned by the multifaceted designer, was the chic epicenter for legendary luminaries of the 20’s, 30’s and beyond. …

Those of you on social media may have seen the article Domino Magazine published yesterday.
They put out their first ever list of their 26 favorite design blogs and I was thrilled to see Quintessence included, along with several blogging friends.…

What do resourceful designers do when they can’t find what they want? Why they make it themselves of course. Befitting the emphasis on the unique and bespoke at Legends, that’s exactly what Patrick Dragonette has done at his eponymous La Cienega showroom.…

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